High Definition Slalom Videos

Spiderman · Post by **Spiderman** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:46 pm

Having now purchased all the necessary equipment, I can now set about making some high definition videos of paddlers in action. Huge files sizes and significant editing time prevent this being as cheap as the photographic service we currently provide but hopefully it will still be a very good deal.

I put together a short video from flatwater training last night but had to reduce its size and quality by more than half to upload it! It still gives you a flavour of the potential though! Just imagine this on white water during a comp in anger! It could be you!

We need a bit more practice as we have only had the camera for 2 days so bear with us...but first results look very promising! Check it here!

Sorry! This Video now removed! See next post!

Our plan is to maybe lay down 4 or 5 mins of action set to music of your choosing. We think it would be a good record of your talent for when you are as old as me and a lot less flexible!

For those interested in a non-sporting, more lovey-dovey gooey presentation you can check out this romantic nighttime offering that we shot within a few hours of getting the camera...

Lovey-dovey video

However, mainly for slalom me thinks

ENJOY!

PP

Spiderman · Post by **Spiderman** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:53 am

OK, lots of hits on the linked video above but since uploading that I have been spending hour after hour sourcing and investigating more appropriate HD video editing software

Guess what? the previously linked video was nowhere near as good as I could produce with the new software so I trashed that video and re-edited a new version and uploaded it here:-

I hope this much improved version will produce a few positive comments either here or on the website! I'm trying to establish if this kind of thing is of any appeal to slalom competitors or if I need to direct the camera in another direction. And on this note, I will be re-editing the lovey-dovey video too when I get time

Watch that space!

PP

Sorry! This Video now removed! See subsequent post!

RussJohnson · Post by **RussJohnson** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:35 pm

just viewed the vid.

looks pretty stunning. would love to see it in its full glory however.

can i add when you lowered the frame rate it gives good potential at showing touches :p

Russ Johnson

Spiderman · Post by **Spiderman** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 11:49 pm

Thanks Russ...yes, you are right but from my recollection of the Rules, video evidence is not submissible

I never saw a thing!

Dadsponser · Post by **Dadsponser** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:52 am

Hi

Just viewed your updated HD video and it looks fantastic. It would look good as an up dated slalom training and technique video.

Alan

Canadian Paddler · Post by **Canadian Paddler** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:49 am

Internationally videois admissable IF it has been taken for all paddlers to the same standard so is available for all (paddlers and I think gates). Even spidey can't do all paddlers, all gates on his own with one camera!

As far as eeing penalties, there seems to be a paddler blindness where their own penalties are concerned. I would not know as I never hit anything!

Spiderman · Post by **Spiderman** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:04 am

lol @ Canadian

Bearing in mind that the last one of those I saw had Campbell Walsh doing the moves, I will accept that as the obvious compliment it was intended to be! lol

All The Fun Of The Fair

I went to the fair on Friday night....

RussJohnson · Post by **RussJohnson** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:05 pm

Canadian PAddler wrote:Internationally videois admissable IF it has been taken for all paddlers to the same standard so is available for all (paddlers and I think gates). Even spidey can't do all paddlers, all gates on his own with one camera!

As far as eeing penalties, there seems to be a paddler blindness where their own penalties are concerned. I would not know as I never hit anything!

I'm sure spidey can manage it, well if anyone can, spider man can.

as for the paddler not seeing the penalty, well thats what the forms are there for, altho i don't really see a point in paying £1 for the judging committee to basically take your money and not listen to your point of view! (i feel another debate coming on here)

Russ

PaulBolton · Post by **PaulBolton** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:29 am

Hummm, doing all the paddlers is obviously fine, but on all gates seems a bit excessive. Perhaps at the top events, where there are generally one or two make-or-break moves, the option to be able to review a video might be very welcome by the chief judge - particularly where half-heads may be an issue. Same for all competitors, so why not have fixed angle cameras at one or two places on an international course? Then, if the judges have doubts they can refer it for video review. Seems this rule all but eliminates a useful support tool.

RussJohnson · Post by **RussJohnson** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:55 am

PaulBolton wrote:Hummm, doing all the paddlers is obviously fine, but on all gates seems a bit excessive. Perhaps at the top events, where there are generally one or two make-or-break moves, the option to be able to review a video might be very welcome by the chief judge - particularly where half-heads may be an issue. Same for all competitors, so why not have fixed angle cameras at one or two places on an international course? Then, if the judges have doubts they can refer it for video review. Seems this rule all but eliminates a useful support tool.

ive noticed a problem with that idea paul. problem with having a single camera to deciver whether a competitor has half headed is that the camera only takes a single perspective of the gate line.

say that the camera is on the bank facing a gate 10yards downstream, and thejudge is in line with the gate line. the view from the camera and the judge will be completely differnt.

the solution to this is to have 2 cameras per certain distance of the course. one facing downstream and one upstream. this means that 2 angles are supplied and and the judge will have there own opinion. again a problem with the is that the futher away the camera is the less detail (even for high def!) so what one camera see's another mightnt. this means that the gate that is exactly half way between the gates is the only 100% accurate picture.

to do the above idea of 2 cameras per section this means proberbly suspending the camera above the course? (possibly by spare gate lines?)

anyone got a spare thousand for the equipment??

im not totally against the idea of video for penaltys. in fact i would totally welcome the idea, as would many paddlers. we have all felt that we have recieved an unjust penalty.

maybe we'll have to trail the idea at a Div3/4.
im sure that my club, West Yorkshire CC at West Tanfield, would test it with spideys help. What do you think Peter? ???

Russ Johnson

RussJohnson · Post by **RussJohnson** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:09 pm

YOU ALL MIGHT LIKE TO VISIT THE NEW TOPIC!!

Video Evidence? Is it possible??

Russ Johnson

djberriman · Post by **djberriman** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:51 pm

I think the only answer would actually be a camera above each pole (like Russ's idea), you forget that poles can be moving and that the gate line moves with it. The camera therefore has to be placed such that it can be judged whether the head and part of the boat passes correctly through the gate line at the same time.

I don't see how cameras placed up stream or down stream will provide an answer as the angle could be wrong, the gate line won't be seen at the moment of crossing and the view can be blocked by bystanders or the paddler themselves.

We have all had unjust penalties, its part of sport, and happens in nearly every sport, even in rugby with cameras a human has to make the final decision as to whether or not its a try and its not always 100% accurate. Its annoying and we all grumble about it but its hardly the end of the world.

A pretty pointless waste of time and money IMHO and technically pretty much impossible unless you want your entry fees in the £100's.

Its hard enough getting volunteers to run start/finish, timing and communications, how are we going to get someone to setup and run a suite of cameras and then review a load of runs and make a decision. Even if cost wasn't an issue it would mean you would have to have purpose built permanent courses.

Next everyone will be asking that poles must have stopped swinging before they start their run.

Be careful what you wish for.....

Spiderman · Post by **Spiderman** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:45 am

I have moved my Hi Def videos here:-

Hi Def Videos

and will try not to move them again

Especially as one is about 500MB!

PP